The Bush administration is taking the next step in spreading democracy and American ideals in the Middle East:
ISRAEL: Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom today welcomed the new sanctions imposed by the United States on Syria.
"This is an important decision that demonstrates US determination to wage an unyielding war not only against terrorist organisations but also against states that support them," Mr Shalom said in a statement.[Israel applauds Syria sanctions 5/12/2004]
Hints of this move can be found in a 1992 plan By Paul Wolfowitz and Scooter Libby, then working for Defense Secretary Dick Cheney in the administration of George Bush ("The Lower Father"):
In the Middle East and Southwest Asia, our overall objective is to remain the predominant outside power in the region and preserve U.S. and Western access to the region’s oil. [U. S. Strategy Plan 1992]
A few years later, Richard Perle, Douglas Feith and other prominent neoconservatives wrote a policy paper for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in which Syria was a major topic:
Israel can shape its strategic environment, in cooperation with Turkey and Jordan, by weakening, containing, and even rolling back Syria. This effort can focus on removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq — an important Israeli strategic objective in its own right — as a means of foiling Syria’s regional ambitions. [A clean Break 1996]
Netanyahu presented the paper to the U. S. Congress, but got no support for a U. S. invasion in the region at that time.
We've seen what happened in the Middle East since, after the neocons gained positions of power in this administration. That may not be the end of it, because, as John Hawkins says:
we may very well need our military again after the Iraqi invasion is complete in Iran, Syria, or North Korea. [Right Wing News]
Fasten your seatbelts.
Article comments
1 - James Golden
Good point, those poor Syrians. They are just minding their own business and the big bad US has to come along and just mess with them right? I just HATE that! Lolllll!
Lets be real, Syria, Iran and North Korea are currently the biggest threats we have. To sit around and bash the GOP because we might at some point in the future take action against these countries is just silly really.
Does anyone realize that we are at war, not just in Iraq but on terror and on countries that support it? We are, really we are! It won't end in Iraq. When the president told us years ago that this war will take a very long time and cost lives, he was being honest.
2 - Marc
Good point JG, the only bad thing I see is how long it took Bush to slam Syria with sanctions. It should have happened three years ago.
3 - Shark
WW III -- Hey, it's good for the economy!
4 - Bernard
"Lets be real, Syria, Iran and North Korea are currently the biggest threats we have"
Threats to who exactly?
I feel threatened by that cold I have contracted and by the guy next door that just got his drivers license.
But not threatened by Syria... Not one bit... Nope... It's far away and they have nothing they can hit you with.
Except maybe terrorism, but short of killing all muslims everywhere, just to be safe, we will have to live with that threat for a while. It's not pinpointed to Syria anyway.
And North Korea isn't even Islam.
Conceptual clarity is desirable.